Apparently this is a farewell in installments: Anna Netrebko and the stages of the western world are gradually losing sight and hearing of each other. The currently most sought-after opera singer has repeatedly been criticized in the West for her closeness to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Since Putin’s war against Ukraine, however, criticism of Netrebko has increased. Although she officially condemned this war, she did not position herself against Putin. Since then she has had a number of West engagements canceled on its ownothers were fired from her.
According to media reports, Netrebko has now separated from the Berlin artist agency CSAM, which represents her in the West and also represents singers such as Thomas Hampson, Rolando Villazón, Mojca Erdmann and Netrebko’s husband Yusif Eyvazov. Netrebko is now missing from the agency website, there is no comment on this. Also on the Singer’s website there is no reference to the separation, under “Contact” you now end up in www-nirvana. However, Netrebko’s appearances in Paris, Milan, Lucerne, Vienna and Madrid will also be announced on the website from the end of May.
Works by Tchaikovsky were canceled in England, Poland and Prague
Whether these performances will take place cannot be predicted at the moment, but as the war against Ukraine continues, that is becoming increasingly unlikely. Musician performances are difficult to plan without an intermediary agency, and no organizer wants to take the risk that a Netrebko performance will degenerate into an anti-Putin demonstration. Performances of pieces by the Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky have been canceled in England, Poland and recently also in Prague. The spokesman for the Czech National Opera said on the cancellation of Tchaikovsky’s Gogol opera “The Slipper”: “We understand the decision of the creative team not to stage the work, which could cause negative feelings in the current context.”
Negative feelings: This is a euphemism for severe upheaval and possible riots, which many houses now fear when Russian plays are played or artists close to Putin appear. However, the Berliner Philharmoniker are sticking to their new production of Tchaikovsky’s “Queen of Spades” planned for the Baden-Baden Easter Festival. The chief conductor of the Berliners, Kirill Petrenko, was born in Russia and came to Austria at the age of 18. He condemned the war right from the start: “Putin’s insidious attack on Ukraine, which violates international law, is a knife in the back of the whole peaceful world. It’s also an attack on art, which, as is well known, connects people beyond all borders.” Incidentally, a joint concert with Petrenko and Netrebko was also planned for the Easter Festival. However, this was canceled by mutual consent three weeks ago.